Okay so here’s what went down with my blow up pool toys last weekend. Found them shoved behind the shed totally covered in dirt and dead leaves. The green one even had muddy footprints on it – probably my dog walked over it.
Initial Disaster Moment
First stupid move: I just grabbed the hose and started blasting water at them. Big mistake! Water shot straight into the valve holes and got trapped inside. When I turned them over, nasty brown water gushed out all over my patio. Smelled like swamp juice.
Figuring Out the Cleaning
So I flipped each toy upside down to drain completely. Mixed up this ghetto cleaning solution:
- Dumped warm water in a bucket
- Squeezed maybe 3 tablespoons of dish soap
- Threw in half cup of white vinegar (mom swear by this stuff)
Grabbed this soft rag that wouldn’t scratch and started wiping every inch. Had to really scrub at the footprint stains using circular motions. Saw mildew spots on the blue unicorn’s horn – took extra vinegar and elbow grease on those spots. Rinsed everything SUPER thorough afterwards cause leftover soap makes vinyl go sticky.
The Drying Drama
Here’s where I messed up last year: I left them in direct sun to dry fast. One toy literally melted into a weird wavy shape. This time I laid them flat on my garage floor with all valves open. Stuck a cheap box fan blowing on low speed overnight. Checked next morning by sticking my hand inside – completely bone dry. Important tip: never ever store them wet unless you want new science experiments growing inside.
Storage Situation
After they dried I sprinkled baby powder inside and out. Makes them not stick together when folded. Rolled them up instead of folding – heard folding causes permanent creases that crack later. Threw silica packets from my shoe boxes inside the storage bin cause why not? Less mold chance. They’re now living in my climate-controlled basement until next pool season.
Honestly thought this would take 20 minutes but ended up being two afternoons of work. Pro tip: clean them right after pool parties before beer spills and sunscreen turn into concrete.